Clarity Strategic^TM

The Do YOU Need a FAQ? FAQ

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) file is a meme dating back to when the Internet was mostly e-mail, bulletin board services, and Usenet. According to the Usenet FAQs about FAQs, in those days, FAQs were often created to prevent visitors to a newsgroup from pestering the regulars. Although technology has made the Internet of those days almost unrecognizable to users today, the major change in the net is that FAQs are no longer the result of "pestering."

It IS still about saving yourself some work, though. You've been answering some questions already, and some of those more than once. So get them written down, and put them where they can be found!

What does a FAQ Contain?

• Anything likely to be asked, not forgetting...
  
  • Anything that has been asked more than once
  • Anything that you expect will be asked
• Extracts from related works (which you have permission to use, or give full credit for)
• Links to useful articles
• Links to periodic postings (e.g. to Facebook or Twitter)
• Less-Frequently Asked Questions - or just things you wanted to share.
• Disclaimer to keep you from being sued or fired

Do you want someone else besides you to carry your FAQ?

• If their audience is different than yours
• If you can trust them to update it somewhere near the time you update it

Should you copyright the FAQ?

• If you want to be certain nobody copies it without permission (especially to sell!)

What do you use as a format?

• Something easy to read and understand
• Stored where they can be found - that means your Web site, or maybe even a video!

This article isn't even one-third the length of the Usenet FAQs about FAQs, so there's ONE positive change. :-)

Copyright 2011 by Ron Graham - it's my opinion, but I'd love to hear yours!